General Motors has announced plans to open an information technology center in this building that would create about 1,000 jobs in Roswell, Ga.

General Motors says a new information technology center in suburban Atlanta - the third of four planned by the nation's largest automaker - is expected to open by March and create 1,000 white-collar jobs as part of its new focus on producing software and other applications in-house.

The automaker announced Thursday that it is hiring software developers, project managers, database experts, business analysts and other information technology professionals to staff its Information Technology Innovation Center in Roswell - about 10 miles north of Atlanta.

State officials say the company has invested $26 million in the development and are calling it another step toward establishing the area as a hub for technological innovation.

General Motors Vice President and Chief Information Officer Randy Mott said the company has relied on outside firms for tech products and applications for about 30 years. The 228,000-square-foot Roswell facility - along with centers in Warren, Mich.; Austin, Texas; and a to-be-named fourth location - will be part of GM's effort to hire up to 10,000 technology professionals over a three- to five-year period to move production in-house instead of buying from outside companies.

"We feel like based on what we're trying to do, which is provide capability for our business, it's much better to have people that understand not only technology but General Motors and the General Motors business," Mott said after a news conference at Georgia Tech.

Severe flu season no big headache for health insurers

Health insurers' financial results for the fourth quarter will largely remain immune to the strong flu season sweeping the country, according to analysts who cover the sector.

Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Chris Rigg said in a Friday morning research note

that the flu has a limited impact - if any - on long-term results.

"We see no reason to hit the panic button if a given concern posts (earnings per share) below expectations due to the flu," Rigg said.

The analyst said insurers like Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint should meet fourth-quarter expectations or slightly exceed them. UnitedHealth becomes the first insurer to report fourth-quarter and full-year results on Jan. 17.

Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini said earlier this week his company expects to spend between $40 million and $50 million on flu-related claims this season, which is nowhere near the $100 million it spent in the swine flu season of 2009.

KFC anticipates opening restaurants in Mongolia

Yum! Brands Inc. will open its first KFC restaurant in Mongolia, Asia's fastest-growing economy, this year with conglomerate Tavan Bogd Group, the Ulan Bator-based company said.

Tavan Bogd, whose businesses include distributing Volkswagen cars, said it won the rights to establish KFC outlets in Mongolia, and plans to set up four this year, according to a statement on its website.

The Louisville-based restaurant chain, whose logo features the image of founder Colonel Harland Sanders, is entering the North Asian country as commodity mining and investment drive the nation's development. Mongolia's economy is forecast to expand 15.7 percent this year, the fastest pace in Asia, according to International Monetary Fund estimates.

All four KFC outlets will be located in Mongolia's capital city, Ts. Baatarsaikhan, chief executive officer of Tavan Bogd, said in a statement.

"We are conducting a market survey together with a global research company to determine the market potential and identify eating habits of Mongolians, which will outline our development road map," he said.

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Business Digest | GM to open IT center by March

General Motors says a new information technology center in suburban Atlanta ? the third of four planned by the nation?s largest automaker ? is expected to open by March and create 1,000 white-collar